1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to computers and methods for controlling the same, and more particularly, to a computer and a method for controlling the same which can maximize an advertising effect.
2. Related Art
These days computers are extensively used in our daily life. Along with this, there has been a sharp increase in the number of users who work with the computers for a considerable period of time, almost all day long. Thus, a good number of computer-based advertisements have been developed, but most of them have been presented on an on-line basis via network such as Internet and the like.
However, most of time the users are working with computers off-line, being disconnected from the network. In consideration of this, if an advertisement can be presented to the users off-line and on-line, the advertising effect will increase. In addition, if a compensation is awarded to the users who view the advertisement, they may reduce the cost of purchasing computers making use of the compensation.
I have found that online advertising effect is not complete enough. Efforts have been made to enhance advertising.
Exemplars of recent efforts in the art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,242 to Shaw et al., entitled ELECTRONIC MAIL SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYING ADVERTISEMENT AT LOCAL COMPUTER RECEIVED FROM REMOTE SYSTEM WHILE THE LOCAL COMPUTER IS OFF-LINE THE REMOTE SYSTEM, issued on Sep. 15, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,502 to Moraes, entitled ELECTRONIC MAIL SYSTEM WITH ADVERTISING, issued on Jan. 11, 2000, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,790 to McAuliffe et al., entitled ADVERTISEMENT AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM IN WHICH ADVERTISEMENTS ARE DOWNLOADED FOR OFF-LINE DISPLAY, issued on Nov. 17, 1998.
While these recent efforts provide advantages, I note that they fail to adequately provide an efficient and convenient computer and method for maximizing an advertising effect, including compensation aspects.
The present invention has been made keeping in mind the above-described need, and an object of the present invention is to provide a computer and a method for controlling the same, capable of presenting an advertisement to a user while he or she is using a computer off-line.
This and other objects of the present invention may be achieved by providing a computer comprising a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, an input unit and a monitor, the computer further comprising an advertisement presenting program for presenting an advertisement on the monitor, and a controlling unit for detecting whether the advertisement presenting program is in operation, wherein the controlling unit suspends at least one function of the CPU when the advertisement present program is not in operation.
It is effective that a computer further comprises a system management interrupt (SMW) generator for periodically generating interrupt signals during operation of the CPU, and a system management mode (SMM) program stored in the memory, for checking whether the advertisement presenting program is operated according to the interrupt signals from the SMI generator, to prevent a user from deleting the advertisement presenting program.
It is also effective that the advertisement presenting program writes a data value to indicate that the advertisement presenting program is in operation when the interrupt signals from the SMI generator are generated, into an interface in the memory, and the SMM program periodically ascertains the data value when the interrupt signals from the SMI generator are generated and clears it, in order to ascertain whether the advertisement presenting program is in operation.
Effectively, the memory has a read only memory basic input output system (ROM BIOS) and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and the interface is provided in either of the ROM BIOS or the CMOS, in terms of processing speed of the computer system. Preferably, the memory has further a ROM BIOS, and the SMM program is stored in said ROM BIOS, thereby preventing a user from deleting the SMM program arbitrarily.
Effectively, the controlling unit has a function of cutting off power supply to the CPU, to stop operation of the CPU, and a function of disabling an input port of the CPU to which the input unit is connected, to stop operation of the CPU, thereby preventing a user from stopping the advertisement presenting program arbitrarily. Preferably, the computer further comprises an auxiliary storage for storing the advertisement presenting program and an application program.
According to another aspect of the present invention, this and other objects may be achieved by providing a method for controlling a computer comprising a CPU, a memory, an input unit and a monitor, the method comprising the steps of presenting an advertisement to the monitor when the CPU is activated, checking periodically to detect whether the advertisement is presented to the monitor while the CPU is in operation, and stopping at least one function of the CPU where it is detected that the advertisement is not presented to the monitor as a result of checking.
The step of checking presentation of the advertisement is comprised of the substeps of generating periodically SMI interrupt signals, writing a data value to indicate that the advertisement is presented whenever the SMI interrupt signals are generated, in an interface of the memory, and ascertaining periodically the data value according to the SMI interrupt signals and clear it.
It is effective that the step of stopping the function of the CPU includes the step of cutting off the power supply to said CPU, and disabling an input port of the CPU.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a computer apparatus, comprising: a central processing unit said central processing unit performing functions including receiving data, processing data, and outputting data; a memory storing information of said computer; a display unit displaying varying visual images to a user, said display unit being coupled to said computer; said memory storing an advertisement presenting program for presenting an advertisement on said display unit, said advertisement presenting program automatically commencing operation after said computer is booted up and suspending operation in response to an action by the user; and a control unit detecting when said advertisement presenting program is operating, said control unit suspending at least one of said functions of said central processing unit when operation of said advertisement present program is suspended.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising: a first control unit having an input port, said first control unit performing functions including receiving data and outputting data; an input unit inputting information to said input port of said first control unit; a memory storing an advertisement presenting program; a display unit displaying at least one advertisement to a user in accordance with said advertisement presenting program, said advertisement presenting program automatically commencing operation after said apparatus is turned on and suspending operation in response to an action by the user; and a second control unit detecting when said advertisement presenting program is operating, said second control unit suspending at least one of said functions of said first control unit when operation of said advertisement present program is suspended.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method, comprising: automatically displaying at least one advertisement on a display monitor when a first control unit is activated and not displaying said at least one advertisement in response to an action by the user, said first control unit performing functions including receiving data and outputting data; checking periodically to detect if said at least one advertisement is being displayed on said monitor when said first control unit is operating; and stopping at least one of said functions of said first control unit when said at least one advertisement is not being displayed on said monitor.
The present invention is more specifically described in the following paragraphs by reference to the drawings attached only by way of example. Other advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and from the claims.